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Week 5 Game Recap: Indianapolis Colts 31, Houston Texans 27
What you need to know
| Indianapolis Colts |
For most of the game the Colts had a hard time moving the ball on the ground against the tough Texan defense and had to rely on the passing game to move the ball. The Colts scored on their first two possessions to take an early 10--0 lead and then were unable to put together any type of sustained drive until late in the fourth quarter. They then scored three straight touchdowns, two offensive, in the final five minutes to win.
Peyton Manning had a productive day, when the offensive line gave him time to throw. During the second and third quarters he was harassed by the Texan pass rush and was forced to step up in the pocket to buy some time and find open receivers.
The Colts rushing attack found little room to run against the stout Texans front four. Joseph Addai had little room to run for most of the game as he was constantly seeing defenders in the backfield. The offensive line was finally able to free him for a key 15 yard gain to set up the game winning pass from Manning to Reggie Wayne.
The passing game plan was able to exploit a secondary that was shorthanded due to both starting safeties missing the game due to injuries. Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark were able to get open deep against the inexperienced safeties and give Manning excellent targets for long gains.
| Houston Texans |
Playing at home for the first time this season, due to their week two contest being postponed because of hurricane Ike, the Texans were determined to put on a good show for their home fans. For the first 55 minutes of the game the fans were enthusiastic as the Texans built a 27--10 lead. However, mental mistakes would cause them to give up their lead, and the game.
Sage Rosenfels got the start due to Matt Schaub's hospitalization on the night before and performed like a veteran quarterback, making good decisions and moving the team down the field with short passes. He targeted eight different receivers as the Texans built their lead. But costly mistakes toward the end of the game proved to be the Texan's undoing.
Andre Johnson had his best game of the season as Rosenfels looked to him early to get the offense moving. Colts defensive backs were not able to stop Johnson on long or short routes as he was able to haul in passes, even when well covered.
Steve Slaton started, but Ahman Green received most of the work in the first half. Slaton found little room to run until late in the fourth quarter. Green spelled him on the second offensive series and was able to find open lanes and move the ball in the second quarter as the Texans drove for their first touchdown.
What you ought to know
| QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 25 - 34 - 247 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 8 - 0 |
Manning had an excellent game while facing constant pressure from the Texan defensive line. He had to combat the pressure by moving around in the pocket to buy time for his receivers to get open. Manning had an excellent first half, completing 11 of his first 13 throws and 13 of 18 for the entire half. He delivered in the clutch as the Colts decided to go for the first down on three different fourth down plays, two coming on each of the opening two drives. On the second fourth down play, Manning called a pass play on fourth and one and connected with a well covered Reggie Wayne for a long gain inside the ten yard line. Late in the game the Colts faced a fourth and seven from the Texan eight yard line and Manning connected with Tom Santi for a key touchdown reception that would be the start of the Colt comeback. His only interception came on a rare poorly thrown pass as he threw behind the receiver and the defender covering him had to make a difficult interception toward the end of the first half.
| RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 17 - 71 - 1, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (3 targets) |
The Texans rush defense was able to keep Addai in check until late in the fourth quarter. Addai had little room to run as he had to escape from defenders who were able to penetrate into the backfield and take away his running lanes. When the Colts tried to run the ball to the outside, he had to contend with defenders who were able to string the play out and clog up the running lanes to effectively take away any type of cutback run. The Colts were able to spring one long run when it counted the most, on the last series. The Colts had the ball on the 20 yard line following Rosenfels' second fumble and Addai took the handoff on the first play and burst straight up the middle for 15 yards to give the Colts a first and goal from the five yard line and set up the winning score.
| RB Dominic Rhodes, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - -4 - 0 (2 targets) |
Dominic Rhodes only saw limited action as the Colts rarely rested Addai. He was not able to handle either pass thrown in his direction, one of which was a botched screen play.
| WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 7 - 97 - 1 (8 targets) |
Reggie Wayne was quiet early, but made his impact felt in a big way with his first catch. With the Colts facing a fourth and one from the Texan 45 Manning called for a deep pass down the left sideline that Wayne was able to haul in despite being well covered. He then used his skills to find open spots while on crossing routes, catching the ball on the move and gaining extra yards after the catch. Wayne had the catch of the game with his game winning reception with only 42 seconds left. The play came on a fade route where Manning put the ball up and Wayne came down with the pass and was somehow able to get both feet down before going out of bounds. He was also targeted one other time on a deep ball that was knocked away in the end zone.
| WR Marvin Harrison, Rec: 4 - 32 - 0 (6 targets) |
Harrison was Peyton Manning's go to receiver in the early going as the Colts were jumping out to a ten point lead in the first quarter. His first two receptions were directly on the first down line and his third reception resulted in a key first down on a drive in the second quarter. He was not able to connect with Manning again until late in the fourth quarter when he again caught a key pass to on the touchdown drive that began the comeback.
| WR Anthony Gonzalez, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) |
Anthony Gonzalez made an important catch on his first target by catching the ball right on the first down line, but the ball was spotted just short of the first down marker. His second target was on a deep pass down the right sideline that was thrown on target, but he was not able to bring the pass in even though he had gotten both hands on the ball. Gonzalez missed time in the second half due to a concussion.
| TE Dallas Clark, Rec: 5 - 81 - 0 (8 targets) |
Clark did most of his damage while lining up as a slot receiver and running patterns that took him deep downfield. He has a knack for finding open spots, and Manning would deliver the ball on time and on target. On the first play from scrimmage the Colts took advantage of the inexperienced safeties by running Clark straight down the middle of the field, and he caught the ball for a 23 yard gain before the safeties could react.
| TE Tom Santi, Rec: 4 - 27 - 1 (4 targets) |
Three of Tom Santi's four receptions came on the first touchdown drive of the fourth quarter as the Colts were beginning their comeback. His first reception on the drive resulted in a first down, and his last reception was a touchdown on a fourth and seven play. He almost scored a second touchdown on his first reception, but he was knockout out at the one yard line.
| TE Gijon Robinson, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) |
Robinson had two receptions on the opening drive that led to the first points of the game.
| PK Adam Vinatieri 1 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points |
Vinatieri was one of two on field goals, making a 46 yarder in the first quarter and missing a 49 yard attempt wide left in the second quarter.
| IND Rush Defense |
The Colts rushing defense was gashed for decent sized gains by the combo of Slaton and Green for the first three quarters. The Texans were able to get consistent four yard plus gains with their backs until late in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line. With the game on the line the defense stiffened and did not allow the backs any room to run and forced the Texans into mistakes that would lead to the Colts victory.
| IND Pass Defense |
Colts pass rushers were not able to get pressure on Sage Rosenfels, allowing him ample time to pass and to pick out open receivers. Rosenfels picked apart the secondary for 144 of his 246 yards in the first half, completing 11 of his 14 passes. The Texans concentrated on the short passes that would allow them to move steadily down the field and chose not to take many deep shots down the field.
| QB Sage Rosenfels, Pass: 21 - 33 - 246 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 16 - 0 |
For the first 55 minutes of the game Sage Rosenfels was the star of the Texans. He showed good accuracy and touch on his passes, and was able to spread the ball around to eight different receivers. He started hot, completing eight of his first ten passes, in leading the team to 17 first half points and an eventual 17 point lead eight minutes into the fourth quarter. Unfortunately it will be his decision making in the last five minutes of the game that most fans will remember. The disastrous stretch started when took off on a quarterback keeper and decided to fight for extra yardage instead of playing it safe with a ten point lead. He ended up fumbling the ball, and the Colts returned the fumble for a score. He appeared to be rattled because on the next possession he threw a bad pass behind the intended receiver on a screen play and then fumbled the ball away on the next snap by failing to protect the ball while scrambling. His second fumble led to the winning score two plays later.
| QB Matt Schaub |
Matt Schaub did not play after being hospitalized the night before with an intestinal infection.
| RB Steve Slaton, Rush: 16 - 93 - 2, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) |
Slaton started but was ineffective early. The Colts were able to keep him bottled up by taking away his cutback lanes, and reducing his effectiveness in the first half. When the second half started he was able to break off longer runs against a defense that appeared to be tiring. He was used in short yardage and goal line situations, scoring both of his touchdowns on one yard runs where he just picked his hole off tackle and slipped into the end zone.
| RB Ahman Green, Rush: 12 - 47 - 0 |
Green saw action on the second series as the Texans rotated backs early. He looked quick, running hard and hitting the open hole with authority early on. Green gained 16 yards on three carries on his first series but was not given the opportunity to score as the Texans rotated Slaton in for the short yardage carries.
| RB Vonta Leach, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) |
Leach was the target on the opening play of the second half.
| WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 9 - 131 - 1 (11 targets) |
The Texans got Andre Johnson involved in the offense early, targeting him on three of the first five pass plays and nine times total in the first half. Johnson made tough catches in traffic, and took passes in the open field for long yardage. His physical play against the Colt defensive backs gave him the opportunity to get open down field. He was targeted once in the end zone in addition to his touchdown reception. He was unable to come down with the pass, but did draw a pass interference penalty that led to the first touchdown.
| WR Kevin Walter, Rec: 2 - 36 - 0 (4 targets) |
Kevin Walter saw most of his action after the Colt defensive turned their attention to Andre Johnson. Walter saw three of his four targets in the fourth quarter, with two coming on the final drive with less than one minute left.
| WR David Anderson, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) |
Anderson caught his only target in the third quarter.
| WR Andre Davis, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) |
Andre Davis was only able to haul in one target, but it was an important reception that gave the Texans a key first down on their second touchdown drive.
| TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 5 - 47 - 0 (7 targets) |
Daniels was the number two option in the Texans passing attack. He caught his first pass then experienced problems with the next two balls as he dropped one and was unable to come up with a low pass on the very next play. Either of those receptions could have resulted in first down yardage. He did redeem himself by not dropping a single pass the rest of the game.
| TE Joel Dreessen, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) |
Dreessen only saw one pass thrown his way as the second tight end when Houston is in a two tight end formation.
| PK Kris Brown 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points |
Kris Brown was perfect on both of his field goal attempts, from 37 and 43 yards.
| HOU Rush Defense |
The Texans rush defense was stout as they did not allow Joseph Addai to get outside on any designed running plays and closed off his inside running lanes. The Colts were held to a total of 79 yards rushing, with 11 of those yards coming on a scramble by Manning.
| HOU Pass Defense |
With the rush defense shutting down the Colts running game the Texans pass rush was able to put some pressure on Peyton Manning and disrupt his timing with the receivers in the second and third quarters. They were unable to overcome the loss of their two starting safeties as Manning was able to rally the Colts by exploiting the lack of experience by the backups.
